I would also tell you to eat more vegetables and fruit, but even then not all veggies are safe. Veggies you buy at the corner market, unless they are labeled organic, have residual pesticides on them and many have been irradiated. We’re exposed to enough radiation through medical X-rays and such. Why expose our bodies to more radiation in our food? Buy organic! And if you think that organic is more expensive, you’re correct. Still, think about how much it costs if you get cancer. Some rounds of conventional cancer treatment reach prices beyond $100,000 or more, and costs are rising 15 percent a year.
So you may spend more money at the grocery store buying organic food, but taking this preventative step could save you thousands of dollars and an enormous amount of grief.
Here is a final point on food and beverages which I can’t stress enough.
Drink purified water only
—reverse osmosis or filtered or distilled. Chemicals in water, primarily the chlorine that is inserted to kill germs, are highly toxic. Some effective but inexpensive filters are being marketed. You can also spend a small fortune buying bottled water, but recent studies have come out suggesting that the plastic polymers in the water storage bottles leach into their contents if the water gets hot. Plastic polymers can be carcinogenic. You also don’t know if that bottle you’re drinking from has been sitting on the importation dock somewhere getting warm. So use caution when buying bottled water (which dollar for dollar is sometimes more expensive than gasoline). Some plastics are safer than others and a quick Google search will inform you of which are safe and which you should avoid.
The Cancer Prevention Diet
If you should avoid certain foods to prevent cancer, then that naturally begs the question: what
should
you eat?
The most favorable cancer-prevention eating plan I have ever uncovered is one developed by urologist Ronald E. Wheeler, M.D., of Sarasota, Florida, which furnishes you with a daily program of eating what he calls Modified Mediterranean Cuisine. I have modified it some, but the benefit of eating according to Wheeler’s guidelines includes the maintenance of heart health plus the prevention of all cancers, but it is especially effective for prostate homeostasis (Dr. Wheeler specializes in prostate health). It also has the added plus that it may slow the aging process. Always remember that you should consult a physician or other medical practitioner before embarking on any major dietary change, and, most important, what follows are guidelines, not absolutes.
Dr. Wheeler divides his dietary plan into categories which begin with eating many kinds of fresh fruits. Here it is:
Fresh Fruits
The list Dr. Wheeler recommends includes but is not limited to: oranges, tangerines, bananas, cherries, grapefruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, guava, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, papaya, grapes, apples, pomegranate, plums, etcetera.
Minimal to moderate intake of fruit juice
.
Fresh Vegetables
Eat fresh, never canned vegetables with the exception of tomato paste and stewed tomatoes. Examples include but are not limited to vegetables in the cabbage family including broccoli, broccolini, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, collard greens, bok choy, mustard greens, cabbage, and cauliflower. Other good vegetables to eat include but are not limited to tomatoes and tomato-related products including the aforementioned tomato paste, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce; peppers including chili pepper, bell pepper, habanera pepper etc.; onions, peas, carrots, spinach, beets, string beans, mushrooms (shitake, portabella, morel, maitake, oyster, porcini etc.). Steamed, sauté, or wok-prepared vegetables are most nutritious.
Limit corn and corn-related products and recipes
(corn is one of the more highly-allergenic foods). Avoid fried onion rings.
Cooking Oils
Olive oil is best; peanut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, pumpkin-seed, krill (from the food whales eat) are all viable alternatives when olive oil can’t be used.
Avoid palm oil, coconut oil, corn oil, and vegetable oil.
Garnish
Garnish and/or integrate any dish with garlic, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, cumin, cilantro, pepper, oregano, ginger, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, mustard, relish pickles, olives, pimento, etcetera.
Avoid the use of mayonnaise and creamy bread spreads.
Protein Sources
Cold-water fish including but not limited to tuna fresh or canned (in water or olive oil), wild salmon whenever possible, halibut, sardines, and mackerel.
Poultry including turkey and chicken (white meat only, without skin), turkey bacon, turkey sausage.
Shell fish including scallops, shrimp, crab, lobster and calamari are okay depending on the preparation.
Other forms: beans (all types), egg whites and peanut butter.
Avoid egg yolks. Limit red meat intake and make sure it is hormone and antibiotic free; organic meat is best because the feed does not include pesticides and herbicides as well. Meat to avoid: anything that is smoked or cured such as hot dogs, sausage, kielbasa, prosciutto, pepperoni, salami, bologna, Lebanon bologna, head cheese, organ meats, spam, or ham; also it is wise to avoid pork altogether (bacon and pork roll included) as well
as lamb and wild game. Fish to avoid: tile fish (Tilapia), sword fish and farm-raised salmon.
Dr. Wheeler also recommends you do not eat hamburger, chili with ground beef, barbecued beef, steaks, prime rib, chicken wings, or sloppy joes.
Dairy
Eat non-fat yogurt, egg whites or egg beaters, skim milk, non-fat cheese, non-fat cottage cheese, etcetera.
Avoid fat associated with dairy including cheese, whole milk, half & half, cream, ice cream, and cream sauces including but not limited to hollandaise, béarnaise and giblet gravy.
Pasta and/or Carbohydrates
Complex pasta made with spinach, whole-wheat, rice, brown rice or any whole-grain alternative wheat such as spelt or kamut are best.
Whole-grain breads are encouraged. Moderate consumption of pizza with whole wheat crust is best. Sweet potatoes are preferred over white baking potatoes although the skins of both are nutritious.
Limit simple pasta like spaghetti and noodles while avoiding bread sticks, white bread, white rice and simple sugars such as refined white sugar and honey; avoid French-fried potatoes unless they are cut thin and fried in olive oil.
There are many good refined sugar substitutes on the market. They include Stevia (it is now available in a non-bitter formula) and Xylitol. Both can be used for cooking and as an additive. You can also use honey, agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt, even molasses if you don’t mind the aftertaste, but these are not sugar substitutes, just acceptable alternative forms of sugar.
Salads
Prepare fresh garden greens with cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, raisins, radishes, onions, peppers, olives, carrots, nuts and fresh vegetables to suit. Minimally eat one salad daily. The best salad dressing is extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or red-wine vinegar (or squeeze the juice of half a lemon for a nice alternative).
Salad dressings to avoid include thousand island, creamy Italian, creamy garlic, creamy anything, French, blue cheese, and ranch. Avoid croutons.
Whole Grains
Eat granola (homemade), oatmeal, Grape Nuts, rye, wheat, and sesame, and of course brown rice. Alternative grains such as millet, kamut, or spelt are good.
Surprisingly, Dr. Wheeler advises to avoid Flax whenever possible.
Crackers
Any whole grain cracker is best.
Avoid crackers made with partially hydrogenated oils including but not limited to cottonseed oil and soy bean oil
(they contain trans-fats).
Soups
Eat tomato with vegetables, tomato alone, chicken with rice, chicken noodle, anything with vegetables and poultry.
Avoid cream-based soups
.
Desserts
Eat seasonal berries or a piece of dark chocolate (if you must).
Avoid pastries, cheese cake, cookies, cake, ice cream, and pies.
Soy
Use only a moderate amount of soy including Genistein and Diadzein components. Additional soy that may be consumed but is not necessarily recommended include: soy milk, soy cheese, soy nuts, soy beans, miso, tofu, and tempeh.
Avoid Soy Sauce based on its high salt content.
Snack Foods (in moderation)
Eat pretzels (non-fat), peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, filberts, grapes, dark chocolate, trail mix (homemade), dried fruits, air-popped popcorn, matzos, a piece of fresh fruit.
Avoid soft drinks, potato chips, corn chips, candy, milk chocolate, pork rinds, microwave popcorn, cookies, Goldfish, cheese twists, etcetera.
Beverages
Drink reverse-osmosis water (for a nice twist squeeze a lemon or lime wedge in the water); it is best to drink three to four, six- to eightounce glasses per day; green and red teas with a wedge of lemon squeezed into the tea prior to consumption; concord grape juice; red wine as an evening beverage (one to two 6 oz. glasses is recommended) daily; moderate the intake of any alcoholic beverage including vodka, whiskey, tequila, gin, scotch, rum, beer, assorted after-dinner drinks, and wine.
Avoid: milk shakes, soft drinks, cream liquors, schnapps, or any high-sugar liqueur.
Supplemental Nutrition
Any valid nutrient formulation that has been proven to be beneficial is part of any good diet. Vitamins that are food based are far superior to vitamins that have been manufactured synthetically. Also it has been found that omega 3 fatty acids including 1600 mg of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and 800 mg of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) ingested daily can help decrease cancer cell proliferation and balance lipids including LDL/HDL, total cholesterol/HDL, EPA/Arachidonic Acid Ratios, and Quercetin for pelvic pain syndrome.
Supplemental nutrition specifically for prostate impairments: Supplementation can be very effective, but it best to check with your doctor or nutritionist on what works best for you, your body, and whatever ailment you’re wanting to correct.
General Dietary Considerations
Avoid fried foods whenever possible in favor of broiled or baked.
If dieting, precede every meal with an eight-ounce glass of water.
Heart health and cancer prevention are directly related to a proper diet.
Get appropriate nutrition, adequate exercise, and rest.
Practice stress reduction and get educated about an optimal lifestyle.
Always eat food fresh and/or fresh frozen; canned goods are generally to be avoided due to preservatives.
If you grill your dinner, do not overcook or burn what is to be consumed.
Avoid the use of butter or margarine remembering, “If it is solid at room temperature, you shouldn’t use it” (referring to butter or butter-like spreads).
15 percent of your daily calories should come from fats.
(NOTE: This dietary eating plan was edited by Dr. Ronald Wheeler for use by prostate-impaired patients and all other medical consumers, both women and men, on February 6, 2006.)
Household Chemicals
The liquids and powders we use to clean our houses, unless they are made from nature, are a shoo-in for being carcinogenic. Sure, they get your house shiny clean, but is it worth breathing in all those nasty chemical poisons or soaking them into one’s body through the skin? Look at a bottle of your average household cleanser next time you’re in the store and be prepared for label shock. Again, until the Oncotest becomes used in all research by our government and private industry to find out what is safe and what isn’t, better to err on the side of being safe.
Use vinegar and water to clean; when heated together they make a marvelous disinfectant. For example, anyone with hard wood floors should know how nice such floors can look with a quick mopping of a vinegar-and-water solution. Or try a non-petroleum-based dishwashing liquid. It doesn’t contain harsh chemicals that are more likely to be carcinogenic, and it cleans just as good as the other stuff. There are also a number of quality cleaning products out there made from all natural ingredients which are quite adequate cleaners and don’t cost a whole lot more than the chemically-laden products. Again, think of your health when you’re buying cleaning products and you may save thousands down the line.
Industrial Chemicals
People who perform blue-collar jobs tend to work around highly carcinogenic chemicals. But if your building has just been remodeled, the chemicals in the paint and the carpet can be highly toxic. If you work in a highly toxic environment, there are natural products—essential oils for example—that can help neutralize the poisons. Also, a double dose of minerals can help leach out the chemicals from your system. (Always make sure you have the proper mineral balances and combinations such as calcium with magnesium and zinc with copper. If you’re ingesting salt for flavor, always take potassium to neutralize the sodium. Check with a naturopath or other qualified health professional for proper dosages of each mineral.)
Get Smart
Because there are so many, it is impossible to address all of the various classes of chemicals that can cause DNA destabilization and lead to cancer. The trick is to get smart about what are known carcinogens and what are potential carcinogens and to use that information wisely.
Please do make the effort to get some good cardio-vascular exercise in at least three times a week. The benefits of exercise are well known, but like anything else that’s “good for you,” it takes discipline and will power to keep up a good program. It really doesn’t matter what you choose to do: walk, run, bike, rake your lawn, play a game of basketball, whatever gets your heart beat up, do it. Exercise will help you feel better and chances are, it will enhance your body’s immune system, and that’s always a good thing. Right?